Porsche Macan Review 2019

Unlike the majority of its rivals, the Porsche Macan is an SUV that is designed to appeal to the keen driver. In fact, it's aimed at the sort of families who have outgrown a Cayman but who don鈥檛 want to give up the Porsche badge and the driving enjoyment that goes with it. Think of it as the best of both worlds - an enjoyable yet reasonably practical SUV. Since its introduction in 2014, the Macan has become a huge seller for Porsche, giving buyers who don't fancy a larger SUV like Porsche's own Cayenne a more compact alternative in this crowded market. For 2019, there's a facelift that updates the looks with a new full-width rear light bar, new bumpers and of course, some new colours. Inside there's a bigger 10.9in infotainment system and there's been tweakery under the bonnet, too. Although it will cost more to buy than most rivals, it will also be worth a lot more than those same SUVs when the time comes to sell it on. For some, of course, the cachet of having the word 'Porsche' on the tailgate of your SUV will be well worth the extra expenditure. You might want to keep the fact that the Macan shares much of its internal parts with the previous-generation Audi Q5 quiet, though.

Mallorca's incredibly smooth roads make it difficult to judge ride quality, but on the few rough sections I could find, the Macan remained comfortable, even in spite of its relatively small sidewalls. Air-springs bring the ability to raise ride height for off-roading, and if that's genuinely important to you in your Porsche SUV, you're not like anyone else. All those changes to the braking system seem worth it, because feel is excellent. It's exactly how I like a brake pedal鈥攆irm at the top, and easy to modulate. Especially sweet are the larger brakes in the Macan S, which get overachieving six-piston calipers up front, though the smaller setup in the base Macan get the job done fine. The Macan rides on the same platform of the previous-generation Audi Q5, though Porsche has always been quick to point out that its SUV isn't an Audi wearing Porsche clothes. That was easier at first when the Macan didn't share any body panels or drivetrain components with the Q5, but now, both of its engines are from the four-ringed brand. Regardless of the origin, the V6 in the Macan S is a good engine, if not a great one.

On paper, it offers peak torque from 1360 to 4800 rpm, though in the real world, it takes a little while for the turbo to spool up at low revs. Some vibrations enter the cabin at lower engine speeds, too, but both of these problems go away quickly. On boost, this engine provides tons of torque with linear power delivery. It helps the Macan S feel plenty quick, but never mind-blowingly so. It pairs well with Porsche's PDK gearbox, which proves, as ever, to be one of the best dual-clutches around. It's probably the only one that can match a torque-converter automatic for refinement in regular use, and it certainly beats one with crisp fast shifts. All that said, I did determine one situation where the V6 and PDK didn't quite play nice: When in rolling to a near stop heading towards a roundabout, in Normal mode, the transmission won't downshift to first. In second gear at low speeds, there's a moment where you get on the gas and nothing happens. It's frustrating, though I imagine it could be solved with some software programming.

And otherwise, the transmission is top-notch. A really pleasant surprise was the four-cylinder engine in the base Macan. I only had around an hour in this model, and I expected to be underwhelmed by what is Porsche's least powerful car by a significant margin. This four actually has plenty of power and torque, and in the real world, it doesn't feel all that far behind the V6. More importantly, opting for a four-cylinder Macan over a V6 Macan S shaves 140 lbs off the curb weight. Owing to its Audi-designed platform, the engine in a Macan is located almost entirely ahead of the front axle. The inline-four weighs less than the V6. In the base car, the steering is noticeably lighter, and the car feels more eager to change direction. It feels a lot more tall hot-hatch to the V6's luxury sports-sedan. But for all its sporting ability, the Macan makes no sacrifices to comfort. It's an excellent cruiser, quiet and refined, with torquey engines that make passing effortless.

If you needed an SUV to do a driving tour of Vermont tomorrow, you could do a lot worse than a Macan. Given its best-selling status, the Macan is a car that Porsche can't afford to screw up, and for the 2019 update, Porsche didn't. No huge surprise when you consider that ultimately, not that much is different than before. Driving it, though, I thought a lot about the history of the brand. This is something I tend to do often, but, it's especially hard not to when you look down at the badge on the steering wheel. It just carries so much weight. Ultimately, the Macan is an odd sort of keeper of the flame. The 911 might be the car that most closely connects the Porsche of today with the Porsche of the past, but without the Macan, the 911 might not exist. At the very least, it might not be as good as it is today.